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Do the benefits of a college degree equal the investment?

As student debt continues to grow with college costs rising, people are asking, do the benefits of a college degree equal the investment?

In this video, learn about how to estimate the financial value of a college degree, from the actual costs to the benefits.

And for some Cliff’s Notes, here’s a rundown of some estimates to let you put college into perspective:

- Costs of school, when you breakdown tuition, housing, rent, travel, books, and extracurriculars, tend to add up to $49,320/year and for 4 years, that’s $197,280 total.

- The average income per year for a college graduate is $50,000. Multiply that by 20 years, and you get $1,000,000. So, the cost of college is only a fraction of life’s earnings.

- High school graduates only make $600,000 over a 20 year period, so it does pay to go to college.

Is there a smarter way to make college tuition costs go down? Sure. What college names have prestige and lead to the most jobs? What characteristics do you have that can make you hireable despite college reputations? State colleges and city colleges could be your best bet. Just think about all the factors that can play into making your future more affordable so that your paycheck will allow you to live well and do good.